FOR LOVERS of California cabernet sauvignon, Oakville is known as cult central, home to many of the Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines. So it’s not surprising that the annual Taste of Oakville event is such a hot ticket. For many members of the wine trade, it might be the only realistic shot they have at tasting iconic wines like Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate, bottles that sell for hundreds of dollars — if you can even get the opportunity to buy them.

There are several reasons why Oakville has developed a reputation as the valley’s cabernet sweet spot. Warren Winiarski, who founded Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in another part of Napa Valley, has often said that wine is a reflection of three G’s: the ground, the grape and the guy. And so it goes with Oakville, an appellation that cuts a swath across the valley from the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in the west to the lower slopes of the Vaca Range in the east.

The ground actually is a melange of about 20 soil types. Rocky, red soils dominate in the east; alluvial fans are common in the west. The valley floor tends to have heavier soils. There’s also the matter of exposure: Vineyards on the west side are shaded in the afternoon, while many sites in the east bask in the afternoon sun. The appellation is far enough south to get a good dose of morning fog off the bay, which helps preserve acidity.

As for the grape, cabernet is king, followed by other Bordeaux varieties such as merlot, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. Groth Vineyards winemaker Michael Weis calls Oakville “the epicenter” of Bordeaux varieties in California, “and the world, in many respects.” There used to be a bigger mix of grape varieties, but when an infestation of the root louse phylloxera in the late 1980s forced massive replanting, a lot of those grapes fell by the wayside. It was already clear that cabernet was the ticket for Oakville.

Still, Oakville’s success might not have been so dramatic had it not been for people, starting with the late Robert Mondavi, who established his eponymous winery in Oakville in 1966. Weis calls the Robert Mondavi Winery “the spiritual center of Oakville.” Later, Oakville wineries such as Silver Oak and Groth made a splash. Success breeds success, and those wineries eventually were joined by such cult wineries as Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Dalla Valle and Bond, operations that would combine meticulous viticulture and winemaking with limited quantities. Paul Roberts, a master sommelier who works at Bond, says the Oakville appellation represents “one of the greatest commitments in terms of the people.”

More than 40 wineries were represented at Taste of Oakville, which was held on April 27 at, fittingly enough, the Mondavi winery. Most were pouring cabernet and cab-based blends from 2006 or 2007. Attendees lined up for a taste of the 2007 Screaming Eagle, which displays loads of sweet fruit, spice, a savory note and fine tannins. For me, a highlight was the 2006 Bond St. Eden ($275), from a vineyard on the east side of the appellation. It’s ripe and a little spicy, with black fruit, a wild herb undertone and fine tannins. I also liked a new wine from Dalla Valle, the 2007 Collina Cabernet Sauvignon ($75), with its smooth, spicy black fruit and slight leafy quality, probably from the cabernet franc in the blend. Another standout was the fragrant, savory, fine-textured 2006 Tierra Roja ($115).

But you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good Oakville cabernet, although none of the wines are cheap. There are excellent bottles that cost less than $75. I actually found some of the priciest wines disappointing because they were overly ripe and, in some cases, downright pruney.

One good example that’s a little less expensive is the 2007 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon ($57.50), which displays ample sweet fruit, a note of wild herbs and firm tannins. Also excellent was the 2006 Vitus Cabernet Sauvignon ($65), which offers lively black cherry, hints of mocha and cedar and firm tannins; the 2007 Reserve ($65) is also quite good. One interesting bottle was the 2006 Detert Family Cabernet Franc ($60), which is powerful and lush yet still has the attractive herbal quality (without being overly green) that is the signature of a franc.

Nickel & Nickel produces several single-vineyard cabernets from around the Oakville appellation; two of the best are the 2007 Nickel & Nickel Stelling Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($140), which has ripe yet bright black cherry flavors, accented by a note of black olive, and the 2007 Nickel & Nickel Sullenger Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($90), which is also lively and concentrated. Those wines will be released in September.The 2006 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) is savory and quite tannic and needs more time in the bottle. The 2007 Maybach Family “Materium” Cabernet Sauvignon ($140) will also reward aging, but it shows good concentration and is quite promising now. The 2007 Hoopes Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) is closer to being ready to drink, with its lively black fruit and subtle herbal note.Although some Oakville cabs are available in retail stores, others are sold mostly through a mailing list. You can find more information on each winery”s website.But not all Napa Valley cabernets are so pricey. I”ve tasted several in recent weeks that are worth a look. For example, the 2007 Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ($26) offers juicy black cherry, a note of anise and a hint of earthiness. The 2006 Sanctuary Usibelli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) from Rutherford, just north of Oakville, is big and dense, with black currant, spice and firm tannins. The 2006 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) is quite tannic, but also displays lively black fruit and notes of anise and earth. From Duckhorn Vineyards, the 2007 Decoy Red Wine ($25), a blend dominated by cabernet and merlot, is dark and dense, with ripe black cherry, a hint of black olive and firm structure.

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